The hearing, titled “Breaking Government: How DOGE and Trump Damaged Federal Workers and Public Services, and How We Fix It,” featured testimony from lawmakers, former inspectors general, union leaders, legal experts, and current and former federal employees. The discussion centered on workforce reductions, oversight challenges, and the long-term effects on public services and global development programs.

Members of Congress present included Ranking Member Robert Garcia (CA-42) and Representatives James Walkinshaw (VA-11), Suhas Subramanyam (VA-10), Eugene Vindman (VA-7), Emily Randall (WA-6), Don Beyer (VA-8), and Glenn Ivey (MD-4).

In his opening remarks, Ranking Member Robert Garcia argued that DOGE had “failed to eliminate waste” and instead “made the government less efficient.” He raised concerns about disruptions to Social Security services, veterans’ care, and USAID. “With what happened with USAID, they left millions of people to die,” Garcia said, emphasizing the global humanitarian consequences of stalled aid.

Representative Suhas Subramanyam highlighted the scale of federal workforce attrition, noting that more than 317,000 employees have departed government service and that the loss includes an estimated 160,000 years of PhD-level experience. “We are here today because of what happened to the federal workforce and what continues to happen to the federal workforce and contractors,” he said, calling the protection of career civil servants a bipartisan issue.

Representative James Walkinshaw, whose Virginia district includes more than 11,000 federal employees, described the long-term implications of politicizing public service. “For the past year, you have been on the frontlines of efforts to damage civil service,” he said, underscoring the need to recruit, retain, and support public servants. Walkinshaw also referenced weakened capacity at agencies, including NOAA and USAID, and the impact on Social Security processing and veterans’ benefits.

Expert witnesses detailed legal, fiscal, and governance concerns.

Rob Shriver of Democracy Forward testified that his organization has filed 400 legal actions since the inauguration and secured more than 100 favorable court rulings related to federal workforce protections. He cited the loss of an estimated 4 million years of institutional knowledge and described deferred retirements costing taxpayers billions of dollars.

Krista Boyd, former Inspector General of the Office of Personnel Management (OPM), testified about oversight disruptions and concerns regarding access to sensitive federal employee data. She stated that in fiscal year 2024, OPM’s Office of Inspector General identified over $300 million in potential savings before leadership changes occurred.

Faith Williams of the Project on Government Oversight warned that weakening merit-based civil service protections and oversight mechanisms could have long-lasting effects. “Rigorous oversight,” she emphasized, is essential to ensuring government serves the public interest rather than narrow political or financial interests.

Doreen Greenwald, President of the National Treasury Employees Union, described what she characterized as “baseless attacks” on federal employees and reported that many workers felt pressured to resign or accept administrative leave. She noted that agencies responsible for significant federal revenue collection experienced substantial staffing losses, with consequences for public service delivery.

Former Representative Barbara Comstock of Virginia offered a bipartisan perspective, acknowledging the toll on federal workers and emphasizing the importance of restoring stability and professionalism to government service.

In recorded testimony, current and former federal employees described layoffs affecting disaster response, clinical research, foreign assistance operations, and whistleblower protections. One NIH employee detailed the disruption of Alzheimer’s clinical trials, while a former USAID staff member described emergency evacuations during field assignments. Others recounted halted FEMA helplines during the Texas floods and prolonged administrative leave without clear guidance.

Throughout the hearing, members of Congress underscored the importance of constitutional governance, whistleblower protections, and transparency. Representative Eugene Vindman called for strengthening Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) enforcement to ensure accountability moving forward.

Cary Dornier, a volunteer at the Alliance for American Leadership who attended the hearing, stated:

“Today’s hearing brought a much-needed spotlight on the decimation of the federal workforce and the very real consequences on the strength and safety of our country and on the lives of brave public servants who have been needlessly denigrated. Thank you to the witnesses and Oversight Committee Democrats for standing up for the humans who make our government work and for the essential role of international assistance in creating a safer world.”

The Alliance for American Leadership, founded after USAID was dismantled, works to build public support for global development. Many of its members have served in or alongside federal agencies, including USAID. 

Asher Moss, Executive Director of the Alliance for American Leadership, emphasized the organization’s non-partisan mission:

“We appreciate Congressman James Walkinshaw for convening a substantive discussion on the future of the federal workforce and U.S. humanitarian leadership. Oversight and accountability are essential regardless of party, and restoring a professional, merit-based civil service must be a national priority.”

The full hearing can be viewed on the Oversight Democrats’ official YouTube channel.

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Media Contact:

Olivia Weaver-Thomas

Deputy Communications Director

Alliance for American Leadership